English Applicants 2012
University course discussion for English.
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English Applicants 2012Hello!
Lots of other subjects seem to have this, so I thought I'll create one for the best subject!
To kick things off, what are you all reading atm? I've just finished Hamlet and am starting The Great Gatsby.
Also where are you thinking of applying? I'm thinking of Oxford/Cambridge (still not sure yet
) Bristol and Warwick.
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Re: English Applicants 2012I['m reading Mrs. Dalloway/The Awakening/Great Expectations at the moment XD As well as some Tennyson poetry. But I'm so behind on all I've meant to have read so am strssing like crazy XD I'm thinking Oxford too, but it depends on my results D=
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Re: English Applicants 2012I'm planning on going for Cambridge, Durham, and then am still not sure about my other three (even though they're where I'm most likely to end up! :|). Considering RHUL as my fifth. Maybe Nottingham will feature somewhere. Obviously that's all dependent on how Thursday goes down, though!(Original post by thethinker)
Hello!
Lots of other subjects seem to have this, so I thought I'll create one for the best subject!
To kick things off, what are you all reading atm? I've just finished Hamlet and am starting The Great Gatsby.
Also where are you thinking of applying? I'm thinking of Oxford/Cambridge (still not sure yet) Bristol and Warwick.
Right now I'm reading a billion things at once - 'Talking Heads' by Alan Bennett for school, and also this fairly solid lit crit book about 'Renaissance self-fashioning' that was recommended to me are at the top of the piles atm.
Last edited by LeSacMagique; 30-08-2011 at 21:48. -
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Re: English Applicants 2012For your personal statement, knowing that your literary interests stated will be questioned at interview, are you talking just about individual books you've enjoyed, or authors, or themes... I mean if I said that I was interested in the difference between form and content in certain books, would that be enough, or would I have to apply it to anything else, for example a philosophical theory...?
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Re: English Applicants 2012Sorry I didn't see this(Original post by welleducatedmoron)
For your personal statement, knowing that your literary interests stated will be questioned at interview, are you talking just about individual books you've enjoyed, or authors, or themes... I mean if I said that I was interested in the difference between form and content in certain books, would that be enough, or would I have to apply it to anything else, for example a philosophical theory...?
I think I'm going to group my PS by movements (eg. Modernism, Victorianism) as it seems easier to think about it that way. With regard to your later question I don't think it really matters if you mention a philosophical theory- just taking about the texts would be enough. Obviously knowing about such a theory would be helpful to slip in at interview though
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Re: English Applicants 2012Hi(Original post by thethinker)
Hello!
Lots of other subjects seem to have this, so I thought I'll create one for the best subject!
To kick things off, what are you all reading atm? I've just finished Hamlet and am starting The Great Gatsby.
Also where are you thinking of applying? I'm thinking of Oxford/Cambridge (still not sure yet) Bristol and Warwick.
I've finally decided to apply for English & History. An almost unbearably difficult decision, and I'm surprised I got to the point where I'd have picked my subject
Erm currently reading Sophie's World (about 1/4 of the way through). I'm planning to read Homer's Iliad and a novel called Sister by Rosamund Lupton afterwards. Any suggestions on other reads before applying?
Planning to apply for: Oxford
, Lancaster, Liverpool (possibly combined honours?) then 2 more out of Leeds, York & Durham (combined honours in arts).
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Re: English Applicants 2012MSB's list seems to be quite good, but I'm just really going to make sure I know a few periods/authors quite well(Original post by British_Student^^)
Hi
I've finally decided to apply for English & History. An almost unbearably difficult decision, and I'm surprised I got to the point where I'd have picked my subject
Erm currently reading Sophie's World (about 1/4 of the way through). I'm planning to read Homer's Iliad and a novel called Sister by Rosamund Lupton afterwards. Any suggestions on other reads before applying?
Planning to apply for: Oxford, Lancaster, Liverpool (possibly combined honours?) then 2 more out of Leeds, York & Durham (combined honours in arts).
I also quite like Romantic poetry so you could look at that
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Re: English Applicants 2012Is anyone here big on the Renaissance? I'm quite interested in it and I'd love to read more of it but I'm not entirely sure where to go from here; I've read a lot of Christopher Marlowe, a little Sidney, and the first book of The Faerie Queene, but is there any stand-out text I should make sure I read before I claim it's my favourite period or anything?
(And also a bunch of Shakespeare but that's kinda in its own category really!) -
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Re: English Applicants 2012Yeah, I've been wanting to read the Iliad for ages so glad it's a useful read. I will definitely be looking at some poetry. I've read a bit of Slyvia Plath but not really much else from there (other than Carol Ann Duffy and Sheenagh Pugh which we had to do for AS). Planning a big trip to the library to try and pick up a range of different things to have a look at.(Original post by DisconcertingWink1)
I believe the Iliad appears again and again in university reading lists so you're definitely being pro-active there.
My tip would be to read a fair bit of poetry. Maybe peruse a few different anthologies just to give yourself some grounding.
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Re: English Applicants 2012Just looked at this list and feel a little ill. I have only read one of these books (Wuthering Heights).(Original post by thethinker)
MSB's list seems to be quite good, but I'm just really going to make sure I know a few periods/authors quite well
I also quite like Romantic poetry so you could look at that
Guess I've got a lot of catching up to do.
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Re: English Applicants 2012Here's a question: if I'm talking about Dedalus in Portrait of An Artist... in my PS, is it ENTIRELY necessary to read Ulysses? I've read 150 pages and it's not going in, nor does it seem wholly relevant at the moment...
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Re: English Applicants 2012I'm goin for writing a lot about 1930s-50s American Social Drama in my PS - mainly Tennessee Williams, Clifford Odets and Arthur Miller, but I'm also writing about literary theories that interest me; maybe post-colonialism? Not really got much poetry I have a particular interest in, but I guess you can't write about everything in your PS anyway :P
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Re: English Applicants 2012Wouldn't worry, I've only read five and I thought I was pretty well read! It's more about the stuff you're interested in than having just crammed loads of books down! (I Hope)(Original post by British_Student^^)
Just looked at this list and feel a little ill. I have only read one of these books (Wuthering Heights). Guess I've got a lot of catching up to do.
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Re: English Applicants 2012Are you applying to universities which interview? If you are, then I think it's probably a good idea to at least have read the SparkNotes (cheating, I know) on the novel so that you are at least able to say something like 'I haven't read the novel, but I understand that in it...' or such like. If you're not, then maybe just artfully dodge mentioning the book on your PS.(Original post by welleducatedmoron)
Here's a question: if I'm talking about Dedalus in Portrait of An Artist... in my PS, is it ENTIRELY necessary to read Ulysses? I've read 150 pages and it's not going in, nor does it seem wholly relevant at the moment...
EDIT: Oh, I just realised I remember your name from the Cambridge thread. Oops.Last edited by LeSacMagique; 30-08-2011 at 23:28. -
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Re: English Applicants 2012Let's hope so. I'm really not sure what to include in my personal statement to be perfectly honest. I have read a lot, but none of it seems good enough to put in my personal statement :/(Original post by cmas123)
Wouldn't worry, I've only read five and I thought I was pretty well read! It's more about the stuff you're interested in than having just crammed loads of books down! (I Hope)
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Re: English Applicants 2012*adds name to the parchment*
Yes! I have finally decided (about two/three weeks ago) after deliberating between English and Music to go for the former
At the moment, I have just finished 'Jude the Obscure' and am going onto Eliot's 'Middlemarch'.
Hoping that this thread will revive and we can support each other over the year
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Re: English Applicants 2012Excellent choice. Any idea where you'll apply to?(Original post by Obsidian)
*adds name to the parchment*
Yes! I have finally decided (about two/three weeks ago) after deliberating between English and Music to go for the former
At the moment, I have just finished 'Jude the Obscure' and am going onto Eliot's 'Middlemarch'.
Hoping that this thread will revive and we can support each other over the year
) Bristol and Warwick.
Guess I've got a lot of catching up to do. 
